SmackDown General Manager Paige Announced a SmackDown Women's Championship TLC Match for WWE TLCIt was unknown how long Becky Lynch would be out of action for when she got hurt a few weeks ago, so it's cool that she'll be back in the ring at TLC to defend her SmackDown Women's Championship in the first-ever women's TLC match next month. I like that she and Charlotte Flair aren't on the same page despite seemingly "making up" the last time we saw them together. All of their matches up to this point have been outstanding and I have no doubt they'll steal the show yet again come TLC. I'm also in favor of adding a third woman to the mix so it isn't Lynch vs. Charlotte one-on-one for the umpteenth time. The Usos def. SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Bar (Non-title)Before the bout, it was revealed via a backstage segment from earlier in the evening that The Bar parted ways with Big Show. I'm not complaining, but why bother putting him with them in the first place? We've seen so much of The Bar vs. The New Day this year that I almost forgot there were other tandems in the SmackDown Live tag team division, including The Usos. They have largely been flying under the radar since dropping the straps back at WrestleMania 34, not to mention they've only had one match with The Bar in 2018 that I could remember. That said, this felt fresh and both teams unsurprisingly worked well against each other. It was an entertaining encounter and The Usos winning sets them up for a future title shot.
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Titus O'Neil def. Mojo RawleyWith Titus Worldwide no longer being a thing, I honestly forgot O'Neil was still a part of the roster. That's not a complaint, either, because I have zero desire to see him competing in singles matches on a regular basis (he's much better off in an ambassador role at this point). Rawley isn't that great, either, so I can't say I was surprised by how abysmal and lifeless this outing was. If nothing else, this was kept relatively short and didn't last longer than it needed to. The B-Team and Zack Ryder def. The Ascension and Tyler BreezeNo, Breeze isn't a heel just because he teamed with The Ascension. He was clearly hesitant every time he tagged in, but then why was he with them in the first place? WWE has had some weird pairings on Main Event lately, but I guess trying something new is better than doing the same matches week after week. The heels' heat segment was dreadfully boring, but at least the final stretch or so was decent.
Braun Strowman Offered an Update on His InjuryBaron Corbin opened Raw yet again, and it looks like he's getting a mini faction with himself, Drew McIntyre and Bobby Lashley. It's no different than the trio of McIntyre, Braun Strowman and Dolph Ziggler aside from how Corbin has actual booking power on this show. Either way, putting these three together is the last thing Raw needs right now and McIntyre is much better off on his own at this point. At any rate, Strowman appeared on the Titantron to update the WWE Universe on his upcoming surgery and vowed to be at TLC next month to face Corbin. I assume that even if he isn't cleared to compete in time for the event, they'll figure out a way to turn it into an angle or, worst case scenario, replace Strowman with someone else. Bobby Lashley def. Elias in a No Disqualification MatchLashley and Elias have been at odds for a few weeks now, but they have absolutely no chemistry and this match was a total dud as a result. Halfway through, Corbin turned this into a No Disqualification matchup, allowing the heels to take turns attacking Elias and give Lashley the easy win. I guess this is the nonsense we'll have to expect from Corbin until he is inevitably fired from his position as acting Raw general manager next month.
Elias Performed with Ric FlairIt was cool for Flair to make an appearance on this show given his history with Starrcade and how he was a part of the inaugural installment almost exactly 35 years ago. Elias' concerts are always harmless and this was fun while it lasted, though I could have done without Nia Jax, Tamina, Mickie James and Alicia Fox interrupting them. I wouldn't be surprised if this was cut for time and was actually longer. Sasha Banks, Bayley, Ember Moon and Alicia Fox def. Nia Jax, Tamina, Mickie James and Alicia FoxThis was your typical house show-style match in that everyone shined at one point or another and it was well-wrestled, yet it wasn't anything incredibly special. On the bright side, they made the most of the time they had and the crowd was into the action. It was also nice to see Banks, Bayley and Moon win for a change, even if it was a totally meaningless matchup and didn't factor into anything storyline-related.
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